Automatic car coupler



June 6, 1933. E, w 5|MMONS AUTOMATIC CAR COUPLER Filed Feb. 4, 1952 III] III/ll IIIIIIIIIII I Illflllll I 3 Ruiz. a 2

I ill/I1 Patented June 6, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE e ERNEST WILLIAM summons, or mnnrimnon, wEsr VIRG-i NIA, ASSIGNOR, BY Dinner AND nsnn ASSIGNMENTS, or ONE-THIRD T JAMES H.GIBS01\T, or MARFRANGE,

. WEST VIRGINIA, .AND ONE-THIRD TO BOY H. nnrson or QUINWOOD, WEST VIRGINIA AUTOMATIC can COUPLER Application fil ed Februar 4, 1932. Serial no. 590,930.

This invention relates to an automatic car coupler designed primarily for use inconnection with mineears, but it is to be understood that a car coupler in accordance with this invention may be employed in any conneetion for which it may be found applicable, and theinvention has for its object to provide, ina manner as hereinafterset forth, a

coupler forcars so constructed and arranged as to insure expeditious and automatic coupling of a pair of cars together, and further including means for quickly releasing the coupled cars from each other when occasion requires, aswell as for reducing to a minimum the accidental uncoupling of the cars 7 when I'OUIIdIIL CHIVGS.

Further ob ects of the invention are to provide, in a manner as hereinafter setforth,

a resilient, flexible, spring controlled auto matie car coupler which is comparatively simple in its construction and arrangement, strong, durable, compact, thoroughly efiieient in its use, conveniently released when oecasion requires, readily assembled, quicklyinstalled with respect toa car, and comparatively inexpensive to manufacture.

To the above ends essentially and others which may hereinafter appear, the invention consists of such parts and such combination of parts as fall within the scope of the in vention as claimed. l

In the drawing wherein like reference characters denote corresponding parts throughout the several v1ews:-- 1

Figurel is a sectional plan of a car coupler in accordancewith this invention.

Figure 2 is a section on line of Fig ure 1. y

Flgure 3 1s a 860131011011 llne 3 3 of Figure 1.

The'car coupler includes a retainer section carried by one end and a bumper sec tion carried by the other end of aear. The retainer section of one car acts to retain a bumper section of another car in coupling 1' ation. The reta ner and bumper sectlons are indicated generally at 1, 2 respectively. The sectionl includes a body part 3 formed of a pair of superposed oppositely-disposed like sections secured together ina mannerto be presentlyreferred to. The front of body part 8 is of convex curvature. A pair of side members 4, 5 are secured to the sides ofbody part 3 and extend baclnvardly therefrom and abut against a vertically disposed back plate 6. A top plate 7 is positioned upon and a bottom" plate 8 is arranged against the lower face of body part 3. The plates 7, 8 bear against the lengthwise edges ofthe back plate 6. The plates 7, 8 extend baeliwardly from body part 3 and in connectionwith the latter and plates 4, 5 provide a compartment 10 at the back of body part 9. The plates 7, 8

register withthe front of body part 3. Pastoning-means 11 are employed for connectingplates 7, 8 together, the sections of body part together and the plates 7, 8 and body part together. R

The body part 3 at its transverse median isformed with a horizontally disposed, flared, oval shaped slot 12 and a flared opening 13. The slot 12 and opening 13 are oppositely disposed with respect to each other. The slot 12 communicates at its inner end with the 1 diameter of opening 13. 1 a

Slidably mounted in a pair of endwise op- 1 posed grooves 14 formed in body part 3 is a pair of oppositely disposed, spring 0011- trolled coupling heads 15 of like form. The grooves 14 are intersected by the slot 12 Each head 15 has its inner end provided with a projection 16 having a beveled face 17 and a flatback face. Controlling springs for the heads are designated 18. Each projection has a curved edge 19. The body part 3 is formed with spaced rectangular slots '20 e which open into the grooves 14. Secured to the heads 15 and extending therefrom through the slots 20, as well as projecting into chamber 10, are pins 21 which areattached we link i and lever mechanism 22 for shifting the heads lea-part against the action of the controlling sp'rmgs 18. The mechanism 22 includes an operating lever 23, which is pivotally attached tobody part 3, as at 24, and extends upwardly through a slot 25 provided in the top of compartment 10. i

The coupling section 2 includes a body part 26 formed of a pair of oppositely disposed sections of like form. The body part 26 has its front of convexcurvature and at its transverse median it is formed with a horizontally disposed flaring slot 27 opening at said front. The body part 26 at its transverse median is also formed witha hemispherical shaped pocket 28 which opens at the back of body part 26 and communicates at its base with the inner end of slot 27. The horizontal width of the latter is less than the diameter of pocket 28 at the mouth or rear end of the latter. The slot and pocket are oppositely disposed with respect to each other. The depth of the slot is less than that of the pocket.

Secured against the back of body part 26, centrally with respect to the latter, is a cylinder 29 of a diameter greater than that of the mouth of pocket 28. The cylinder is dis posed concentrically with respect to the mouth of pocket 28 whereby that portion of the back of body part 26 extending from the inner face of the cylinder to pocket 28 pro-' vides a shoulder 30. Positioned against shoulder 00 and housed within cylinder 29 is a spring controlled plate 31 of greater diam eter than the mouth of the pocket 28. The plate 31 constitutes a closure for the pocket and has its movement in one direction arrested by the shoulder 30. Housed within cylinder 29 and seating against plate 31 is a combined controlling and cushioning spring 32 for such plate. The spring 32 is of a diam eter to seat against the plate 31 in close proximity to the edge of the latter.

Mounted against the top and bottom of body part 26 are plates 33, 34 respectively which are flush with the front of body part 26 and extend backwardly therefrom. Side and back plates 35, 36 respectively are positioned between plates 33, 34. The plates 33, 34 are clamped together and to the body part 26 by the fastener means 37 which also clamp plates 35, 36 in position, but these latter may be welded to plates 33, 34. The plates in connection with body part 26 provide a chamber 38 in which is arranged the cylinder 29, and the rear end of the latter is closed by plate 36.

The bumper section .2 includes a freely movable coupler pin 39 comprising a shank 40 of the desired length which at its inner end is integral with and perpendicular to the curved face 41 of a solid hemispherical shaped head 42 having its flat face indicated at 43. The outer end of the shank 40 is integral with and perpendicular to the rear or holding face 44 of a circular holder portion 45 of materially greater diameter than that of the shank. The holder portion 44 merges into a tapered part 46 at the outer end .of the pin 39.

The head 42 is arranged in pocket 28 and has its curved face 41 conform to the shape of the pocket. The face 41 of head 43 rides against the wall of pocket 28. The flat face of head 42, which is of less diameter than plate 31, bears against the latter. The plate 31 and spring 32 normally function to maintain the pin 39 extended with respect to body part 26, that is to say the spring 32 bears upon the outer edge of the flat face 41' of head 42, throughout its circumference, in order to hold the pin 39 extended horizontally. The spring 32 also functions as a cushion for the pin. The shank 40 extends through slot 27 and is of a material greater length than the depth of the slot.

The pin 39 is for extension through slot 12, opening. 13 and into chamber 10. As pin 39 passes through slot 12 the tapered part 46 forces the coupling heads 15 apart against the action of their controlling springs 18. After the-holding portion 45 has cleared the heads 15, these latter will be forced to engage the shank 40 outwardly of and have the flat faces of their projections 16 oppose the face 44 of holder portion 45 whereby the sections 1 and 2 will be coupled together.

The horizontal width of slot 12 is materially greater than that of slot 27. The depth of slot 12 is greater than that of slot 27, as well as that of opening 13. The length of portion 45 is materially less than that of shank 40.

. What I claim is 1. In a car coupler, a bumper section provided with a body part formed with a horizontally disposed, flared slot and a hemispherical shaped pocket, said slot opening at the front of said body part and communieating with said pocket at the base of the latter, said pocket opening at the rear of said body part, a. coupler pin including a hemispherical shaped head and a shank eXtend ing through said slot and merging at its inner end in the curved face of the hemispherical head and at its outer end in a holder portion having a tapered part extended therefrom, said head seated in said pocket and having a fiat inner face, said body part being formed with a shoulder bordering the mouth of said pocket, a plate of greaterarea than and arranged concentrically to said flat face,said plate abutting said shoulder and flat face and closing said pocket, a controlling spring bearing against the edge of one face of said. plate throughout its circumference whereby force is transmitted from the plate to the head to holdthe pin extended horizontally, and means for holdingthe plate and spring in position.

2. In a car coupler, a bumper section provided with a body part formed with a horizontally disposed, flared slot and a hemispherical shaped pocket, said slot opening at the front of said body part and communieating With said pocket at the base of the latter, said pocket opening at thefrear of said body part, a couplerpin including a hemispherical shaped head and a shank extending through said slot and merging at its inner end in the curved face of said head and at its outer end in a holder portion having a tapered part extended therefrom, said head seated in said pocket and having a flat inner face, said body part being formed with a shoulder bordering the mouth of said pocket, a plate of greater area than and arranged concentrically to said flat face, said plate abutting said shoulder and flat face and closing said pocket, a coiled spring having one end bearing against the edge of said plate throughout its circumference whereby force is transmitted from the plate to the head to hold the pin extended horizontally, a cylinder housing the plate and spring, and a supporting meansfor the cylinder secured with said body part.

A car coupler, a bumper section comprising a body part formed with a horizontally disposed flared slot and a hemispherical shaped pocket communicating with the slot,

said slot and pocket being oppositely disposed, a coupler pin extending through said slot and having a solid, hemispherical shaped head seated in said pocket, said head having a flat face, said slot opening at the front and said pocket having its mouth at the rear of said body part, said body part formed with a shoulder bordering the mouth of said pocket, a plate arranged rearwardly of said body part and bearing against said head and shoulder, a spring seating against said plate to bear against the edge of one face of the plate throughout its circumference whereby force is transmitted from the plate to the head to hold the pin extended horizontally.

, 4:. A car coupler, a bumper section comprising a body p art formed with a horizontally disposed flared slot and a hemispherical shaped pocket communicating with the slot, 7 said slot and pocket being oppositely dis posed, a coupler pin extending through said slot and having a solid, hemispherical shaped head seated in said pocket, said head having a flat face, said slotopening at the front and said pocket having its mouth at the rear of said body part, said body part formed with a shoulder bordering the mouth of said pocket, a plate arrangedrearwardly of said body part and bearing against said head and shoulder, a spring seating againstsaid plate to bear against the edge of one face of the plate throughout its circumference whereby force is transmitted from the plate to the head to hold the pin extended horizontally, and a combined housing and supporting means for 69 the plate and spring for holding them in position, said means being secured to said body part and extended rearwardly therefrom.

In testimony whereof, I aflix my signature hereto. 35 ERNEST "WILLIAM SIMMONS. 

